Bio - Val & Allen

One of the first questions that comes up when people hear that we are members of the rareBIRDS Housing Cooperative in Kamloops, B.C. is “ why would you be interested in living with other people when you have a nice home of your own in a great neighbourhood ? ”

Good question.

Over a few years, off and on we have had discussions with friends about the possibility of living in community but they were just that, musings, nothing of substance until March 2011. Some of us were watching a movie, “ How To Boil A Frog” at the Kamloops Film Festival. The Vancouver director made it for his teenage daughter who felt there was little hope for the environment or her generation. The film was his rebuttal. In the film, he interviewed people involved in the cooperative housing movement, at which time, we leaned over to one another and said “ so, what’s stopping us? “ That question was the impetus for our first cooperative housing meeting.

Good question but not a complete answer.

Another seed was planted a few years ago when we worked and lived in Nepal and Africa. Intergenerational homes/ compounds were the norm. Everyone from the youngest to the oldest contributed to the good of the whole. We saw the benefits and difficulties in these living arrangements. At the same time, with some trepidation, we shared housing and meals with other volunteers. It became an integral part of our life in a new country and culture; sharing our day, ideas, insights about what worked, what didn’t. It was enriching, nurturing and helpful for all of us.

Sustainability has impacted this decision as well. One day when we were both working in the kitchen, one of us said “ imagine, 15 townhouses, 23 people, each one with a stove, fridge, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer. Think about the energy consumed by appliances alone! If we lived with other people in one home, we could share all of these resources. “

Lastly, as we age we have become aware of how easy it is to stick to the tried and true, stay within our comfort zones, in other words, the same old, same old. With that in mind, we have chosen to embrace change, push our edges creating more space in our lives for other possibilities. We are not “pollyannish’ about this choice. We are aware of the risks and have chosen wonder.

Allen and Val